Japanese government delays landing plan on Diaoyu

2012-07-19 07:17:06 GMT2012-07-19 15:17:06(Beijing Time)SINA.com

By Zhao Wei, Sina English

If the Tokyo metropolitan government applies for landing on the Diaoyu Islands, the Japanese government will not give it a nod immediately, according to a report by Japan's Kyodo News Agency. The government has already informed the "owner" of the Diaoyu Islands of the local government's plan.

It is reported that any request to land the islands has to get the approval from the Japanese central government, which is part of the rental agreement signed with the "owner" of the islands. Japanese central government believed that approving Tokyo's landing request will create obstacles on its "nationalization" of the islands, which is prompted by Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda. The central government will speed up negotiations directly with Tokyo metropolitan government on the "purchase" plan.

The Tokyo government planned to conduct a survey on the Diaoyu Islands in late August. It is reported that delaying the landing application could bring resentment to the central government, which is just what the hard line Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara wants to see. The "owner" of three islands among Diaoyu Islands (Uotsurijima, Minami-Kojima and Kita-Kojima) had earlier indicated a willingness to sell the islands to the Tokyo metropolitan government.

Flare-up between China and Japan would be reignited if Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara’s "buying" plan came into effect. The Noda cabinet has yet to give an active reaction towards the plan that Tokyo government would like to transfer the islands after "buying" them, as sources said, "it is not clear about when Tokyo government could transfer the islands to the central government, if the deal were really clinched".

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Japan lodged solemn representation and protests to Japan on the plans of "nationalizing" Diaoyu Islands, reiterating China’s stance that any unilateral action on the Diaoyu Islands was not allowed.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed that Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets have been China's inalienable territory since ancient times. China's sacred territory is not 'for sale' to anyone.

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